Stabilizing device



Oct. 13, 1931.-

F. p. w. SEARING STABILIZING DEVICE Filed July 26, 1929 INVENTOR FRwm/c/r 0 M SEAR/N6 ATTOR Y Patented Oct, 13; 1931 mtnnimrcxp. wIsiinnmdnnnnw nx, NEW JER EY,

sTABILIzING DEvicE j Application -fi1ed Ji11y26,

" The primary object of this invention is to enable ocean travelers to avoid seasicknessby furnishing for their use deck chairs,

couches,beds'andother'piecesof furniture so 5 supported that the zpieee. of furniture does I not partake} of. the- ;rolling' and p1tch1ng ,mo-

ftijons oft-heboatj .t In its preferred 'for ni theob ject ofthe inj v Vention is to. make a swi-nghhair of an o'rdinary steamerdeck chair-thereby increasing;

7 its comfort for travelers." The Suppexiting structure I form comprises a system of levers: preferably 1 'fulcrumed. on axes disposederosswise of; the; supporting standard andlongitudinallyof 1th:

In; the, illustrated example the-main supporting'lever is pivoted in, the linejof the center ,of gravity of a person; occupying thechalr,

, the lever extending in adirection,forwardly.

I cross-levers attachedto the charrpreferably bystraps or tapesare pivoted to therespccf tiv-e ends of the main lever Retardinggj V dampening and cushioningmeansareprefv erably associated-with the levers. 1

' In'the accompanying drawings a preferred form ofmy invention isshown torfthe-purpose of illustration, inwhich drawings 1 -Figure 1 shows in side elevation a form of p my supporting devlceand a cha r supported thereby or Fig. 2 is afront elevation, and i s Fig. 3is-a top View in 'the'Fig; 2 position.

While this present invention, does not ex- ;;chair is su-spen'dedfrom the supporting dc erably made of wood, is {desirable-"such af legs 10 adapted to} stand upon the deck, and sloping inwardly toward their upper'iends; the pair at each side being connected by up- 1 per andilower br'a'ces ll, 12and the, lower the preferred; e p 1 I tpnrpmces 15 top pieces l 6, -uprights 17 v and land backwardlyof the occupant. A pairofj 7 v the legs for steadying the structure. My supporting device is herein illustrated I clusively pertain-Ito thejsupportof chairs, yetit is so peculiarly. adapted for that purpose;v f and especially for stabilizing chairs on deck] I that such use has been; chosen for-th-epurpose of illustration and-description. -A- steamen;

4o chair of well'known-form is shown inthe 1929; serialm. 381,135. vice a. portableknockdown' framework, pref- 1 frame work being shown and COIHPIlSlDgfQHI' braces 12, 12 being connected by two' cross braces 13, 13 removably held in position in soine suitable or well, known manner-,; as for-+ 3 i 1-nstancep1nsl4. 'An open bQX -like h-eadis mounted on topof the legs 10, it having botcross; piecesfl8,-19 at the bottom and top. The PaHfOflQgSlO ateaeh-side are shown connected to theuprights 170i thehead -by meansofi hingesQO tofacilitjate folding for v storageor for; shifting about frorn place; to :4 lplac'ev,Metalstraps 200' are shown 'pivoted V v to the head rail l5'and removably'bolted to" 5 Inounted on top of this headythe chair su s pended from it, and-comprising a main lever QleXtending in ,a front-vto rear direction is fulcrumed on a pivot 22 'seated injawooden block 23 carriedbya board 2d resting on top 5 v a of; the head structure; Thepivot22 is fu'r- I nished with athumb nut 25, between which and thelever a friction or tension device26:

of suitable construction is interposed. A pair ofrcrossllevers27 vare fulcrumed on pivots 28 to the dependentends 29' of the lever c21. ='1hese pivots are also-provided with tllllnlbllllts 250 and tension devices-260; 8O

"It lSfllPOIl these levers that the chair is supported. The cross levers -2Z are, .in the ilj. 7 lustration, nformed with. dependent ends '30 1- f to which flexiblesuspension straps 31 which are connectedto the chairare attached. 1' Eye 35 v bolts :32 are carried bythejlev'er ends 30 f 1' the engagement of ready releasing means :e'arriedpby the straps, snap hooks 33 being shown.- Thelowenendssiofthe. rear straps" 81 are shewn a'ttached v to a the seat" andleg 90. i,

members 5 and passing through guides 34 provided on the sides of the back and leg members 6. The lower ends of the front straps are attached to the foot portion 7 and pass through guides 35 provided at the front ends of the leg and seat members 5.

It will be noted, particularly by having reference to Figure 1, that the guides 34 and 35 are so located that they bend the straps 31 forwardly. c

As an additional supporting and steadying means a strap 41 is shown connected to each of the front straps 31 preferably by engagement with the back of the buckle 42. The lower end of this strap 41 is shown connected at 43 to the seat and leg member 5. The strap preferably passes inside the arm 9 and is also given a forward bend by means of a guide 44.

he location of the points of engagement of the straps 31 and 41 with the chair frame, and the points of engagement of the guides 34, 35 and 44 with the straps, is dependent largely upon the character of the service to which the device is to be put including the weight of the load which it is to carry.

From the foregoing it will be quite obvious that, when the structure is set up on the deck of a boat, the weight of an occupant in the chair causes this, through my system of levers, to maintain a stable position during the rocking of the boat at sea. According to one mode of proportioning and adjusting the parts, my device transforms the rolling and pitching of the boat into a slow level swinging of the chair.

For certain sea caused boat motions the free self-achustmg movements of the support are adequate to afford complete stabilization. There are, however, certain other well recognized boat movements which from their suddenness in some instances and from their repetition or reversal in other instances re quire that the tilting of the levers be resisted and restrained, and that means also be provided for restoring them to their normal positions. And also that spring means be provided for dampening the relative movement between the standard and the chair. The movement of the lever 21 is controlled in this regard in the illustration by the adjustable friction device 26 and the extension springs 36 and 37. Preferably the front arm of the lever 21 is slightly shorter than is the rear end. The spring 36 connected to the rear arm of the lever is also preferably stronger or stiffer than is the spring 3'? attached to the front end.

The movement of each of the levers 27 is controlled by the friction devices 260 and the extension springs 38. springs 38 for each lever 27 are attached to an eye bolt 39 upstanding from the upper side of the end of the lever 21. A centrally disposed spring 45 is connected to one of the The upper ends ofthe crossbars 13 and to the under-part of the chair seat.

It is to be understood that changes in details of construction may be made within the scope of the claims without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having described my invention, I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. In a steamer deck chair, the combination with legs adapted to rest upon the deck and furnished with a head piece, of a support upstanding from the head piece, a main lever pivoted to such support and having dependent ends, a cross lever pivoted to each end of the main lever below its pivot, the cross levers having dependent ends, an upstanding post at each end of the main lever, and having at its upper end means for the attachment of springs, and a pair of coiled extension springs attached to such means and to the dependent ends of the cross levers, and a chair suspended from the ends of the cross levers.

2. In a steamer deck chair, the combination with a frame work embodying legs for resting upon the deck, of a head piece, a standard carried by the head piece, a main lever fulcrumed on thestandard, a cross lever fulcrumed at each end of the mainlever and disposed transversely of 1t, a chair suspended vers and to the fronts of the arms.

3. In a steamer deck chair,the combination with a frame work embodying legs for resting upon the deck,of a head piece, a block carried by the head piece, a main lever fulcrumed on the block, a lever fulcrumedat each end ofthe main lever and disposed transversely of it, a chair and flexible straps suspending the chair from the ends of the cross levers. v

4. In a-steamer deck chair, the combination with a frame work embodying legs for resting upon the deck, of a head piece, a block carried by the head piece, a main lever fulcrumed on the block, a cross lever fulcrumed at each end of the main lever and disposed transversely of it, a chair and flexible straps suspending the chair from the ends of the transverse cross levers, and springs associated with the standards and the chair for dampening the relative movements between the standards and the chair.

5. The combination with a frame Work, of a main lever fulcrumed thereon, a lever fulcrumed at each end of the main lever and disposed transversely of it, flexible straps dependent from the ends of the transverse llt suspension device such straps being connected to the lower portions of the chair, and I crossing upper portions rof the chair, there being guides carried by the chair at such 11pper portions for bending the straps and shortening the free length of strap.

7. The combination With a chair, ofa base, amain lever pivoted to the base and extend= I 7 ing in a direction from front to rear (if the maln'leve'r and dlsposed transversely of the I chai'nthe chair being'attachedto the 'ends' chair, a cross lever pivoted at each end Of the of the cross levers. r

Signed at New York, N. Y.,thistvventy fifth day of J uly; 1929.

FREDERICK D WfsEA mG; 

